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The reaction catalyzed by 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate
7-phosphate synthase.
The reaction catalyzed by 3-dehydroquinate synthase.
The enzyme requires catalytic
amounts of NAD for activity.
The reaction catalyzed by 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase.
The reaction catalyzed by shikimate dedydrogenase.
The plant enzyme uses NADP,
whereas some microorganisms use pyrrolo quinoline quinone
as cofactor.
The reaction catalyzed by shikimate kinase.
The reaction catalyzed by 5-enolpyruvylshikimate
3-phosphate synthase.
The reaction catalyzed by chorismate synthase.
The enzyme requires catalytic amounts
of reduced flavin for activity.
The synthesis of
gallic acid, hy-
droxycinnamates,
stilbenes and
flavonoids by the
phenylpropanoid
pathway in plants
Coumarins
• Coumarin is the parent organic compound of a class of naturally occur-
ring phytochemicals found in many plant species. This oxygen hetero-
cycle is best known for its fragrance, described as a vanilla-like odor or
the aroma of freshly mowed hay. Identified in the 1820s, coumarin has
been synthesized in the laboratory since 1868 and used to make per-
fumes and flavorings. It is also used to prepare other chemicals -- in
particular anticoagulants and rodent poison.
• Coumarin is found in a variety of plants such as Tonka bean, lavender,
sweet clover grass, and licorice, but also occurs in food plants such as
strawberries, apricots, cherries, and cinnamon. It is thought to work by
serving as a pesticide for the plants that produce it.
• Chemically, coumarin can occur either free or combined with the sugar
glucose to produce a coumarin glycoside. Medically, coumarin glyco-
sides have been shown to have blood-thinning, anti-fungicidal, and anti-
tumor activities. Dicumarol, a coumarin glycoside better known as war-
farin, is the most commonly used oral anticoagulant medication.
The biosynthesis of shikimate metabolites
Andrew R. Knaggs
Analytical Sciences Department, Discovery Re-
search,
GlaxoSmithKline Medicines Research Centre,
Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire,
UK SG1 2NY
Received (in Cambridge, UK) 20th August 2002
First published as an Advance Article on the web
29th November 2002
Covering 2000.
Previous review: Nat. Prod. Rep., 2001, 18, 334
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2003, 20, 119–136
FLAVONOID Biosynthesis
Anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway
Tannins: definition
The word tannin is very old and reflects a traditional technology.
"Tanning" (waterproofing and preserving) was the word used to
describe the process of transforming animal hides into leather by
using plant extracts from different plant parts of different plant
species.
• Plant parts containing tannins include bark, wood, fruit, fruit-
pods, leaves, roots, and plant galls.
• Examples of plant species used to obtain tannins for tanning
purposes are wattle (Acacia sp.), oak (Quercus sp.), eucalyptus
(Eucalyptus sp.), birch (Betula sp.), willow (Salix caprea), pine
(Pinus sp.), quebracho (Scinopsis balansae) .
Tannins: definition
Tannins are phenolic compounds that precipitate proteins.
They are composed of a very diverse group of oligomers and polymers.
There is some confusion about the terminology used to identify or classify
a substance as a tannin, In fact,
• not only tannins bind and precipitate proteins (other phenolics such as
pyrogallol and resorcinol also have this property),
• not all polyphenols precipitate proteins or complex with polysaccharides
Tannins can complex with:
• Proteins
• Starch
• Cellulose
• Minerals .
Tannins: interaction with other macro-
molecules
• The phenolic groups that esterify with the core are sometimes
constituted by dimers or higher oligomers of gallic acid (each
single monomer is called galloyl)
• Each HT molecule is usually composed of a core of D-glucose
and 6 to 9 galloyl groups
• In nature, there is abundance of mono and di-galloyl esters of
glucose (MW about 900). They are not considered to be tan-
nins. At least 3 hydroxyl groups of the glucose must be esteri-
fied to exhibit a sufficiently strong binding capacity to be classi-
fied as a tannin.
• The most famous source of gallotannins is tannic acid obtained
from the twig galls of Rhus semialata. It has a penta galloyl-D-
glucose core and five more units of galloyl linked to one of the
galloyl of the core.
Ellagitannins